Help Needed 4: A Change of Seasons
by animemetalhead
Summary: Kiora Hyuuga Haruno has retired from life as a ninja, for many reasons. She's decided to pursue her new dream: to rock the world, and with her friends they plan to succeed. Book 4 of 5.
1. Juke Box Heroes

A/N: Welcome, one and all, to Help Needed 4! We've got a new setting, new characters, and a whole new plot. No villains like the last books, the focus of this story is the development of the girls as characters. That's not to say there won't be conflict, but there won't be any of my usual insanely overpowered fight scenes. That being said, there probably will be some more realistic lemons, and of course, the focus of this story is the music. I'll probably confuse a few people with some of what I say, so I'll try and include a glossary of musical terms at the end of each chapter for the average reader.

And so, without any further ado, let's begin!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Although, this series is so far removed from Naruto at this point that it's probably not necessary to do this anymore.

**Help Needed 4:  
A Change of Seasons**

**Chapter 1**

**Juke Box Heroes**

The small club was nearly empty, save for a few loyal patrons at the bar, when the last act of the night crawled up on stage. It was still an hour until closing time and the quartet were planning on making the most of that time.

A woman in her early twenties started the song, her bass plucking out the melody. The drummer kept a steady rhythm on the bass drum, though she wasn't visible in the low light.

_Standing in the rain_  
The lead singer sang, a spotlight illuminating her just in time._  
With his head hung low_  
Her blonde hair hung in front of her face, her own head mimicking the subject of the song._  
Couldn't get a ticket__  
It was a sold out show_  
She continued, raising her head and shaking her bangs out of her eyes._  
Heard the roar of the crowd_  
She sang, pitch and intensity rising._  
He could picture the scene_  
Her voice was reaching a crescendo. (1)_  
Put his ear to the wall  
Then like a distant scream_

_He heard one guitar_  
A new spotlight appeared, revealing a pink-haired guitarist. She hit a loud, distorted power chord, (2) accompanied by a crash from the drummer's cymbals._  
Just blew him away_  
Another power chord, the low E on her guitar, (3) rang out into the bar._He saw stars in his eyes  
And the very next day_  
She scraped her pick down the strings, leading into the next quiet verse. She twiddled the volume knob on her guitar down to zero and slid into the background.

_Bought a beat up six string  
In a secondhand store  
__Didn't know how to play it  
But he knew for sure_

_That one guitar_  
The guitarist jumped back in, the same power chord pattern (4) as before roaring out her amplifier._  
Felt good in his hands  
Didn't take long  
To understand  
__Just one guitar  
Slung way down low__  
Was a one way ticket  
Only one way to go_

_So he started rockin'_  
The drummer finally got a rock beat going, the odd kick/snare swing beat (5) left behind for now._  
Ain't never gonna stop  
Gotta keep on rockin'_  
The singer practically screamed the final word of the line, her eyes squeezed shut, all focus on the music._  
Someday gonna make it to the top_

_And be a juke box hero_  
The guitarist and bassist joined in, singing back-up._  
(Got stars in his eyes) (6)  
He's a juke box hero  
He took one guitar__  
Juke box hero  
(Stars in his eyes)  
Juke box hero__  
(Stars in his eyes)  
He'll come alive tonight_

The guitarist stepped back, turned the volume on her guitar down a little, and played a low single note riff with a bit of a swing to it as the third verse started. The drummer went back to the steady beat on the kick, and the singer took center stage again.

_In a town without a name__  
In a heavy downpour__  
Thought he passed his own shadow  
By the backstage door_

_Like a trip through the past_  
Once again, the power chords rang out from the guitarist, while the drummer added a snare to her beat and threw in more kicks._  
To that day in the rain__  
And that one guitar  
Made his whole life change_

_Now he needs to keep on rockin'  
He just can't stop__  
Gotta keep on rockin'  
That boy has got to stay on top_  
The drummer's fill (7) carried them into the chorus, a long roll across the snare and toms.

_And be a juke box hero  
(Got stars in his eyes)__  
He's a juke box hero  
(Got stars in his eyes)__  
Yeah, juke box hero  
(Stars in his eyes)  
__With that one guitar  
(Stars in his eyes)__  
He'll come alive  
Come alive tonight_

The guitarist slid into the front, using her tremolo arm (8) to mess with several lengthy chords.

_Whoa_

A bluesy solo commenced, filled with slides and bends interspersed with quick single note runs, building in speed as it went. As she worked her way up the neck, she began throwing in taps and pinch harmonics (9) to spice it up, finally hitting a final high note and letting it ring out as the final chorus started.

_Yeah, he's gotta keep on rockin'  
Just can't stop__  
Gotta keep on rockin'  
That boy has got to stay on top  
_

_And be a juke box hero  
(Got stars in his eyes)__  
He's a juke box hero  
(Got stars in his eyes)__  
Just one guitar  
Juke box hero  
(Got stars in his eyes)  
He's just a juke box hero  
__Juke box hero  
Juke box hero_  
The singer jumped to a whole new octave for a moment._  
He's got stars in his eyes__  
Stars in his eyes_

The drummer's final fill started quietly and built up both volume and speed as she pounded away on her kit, leaving a final crash ringing while the guitarist played the final descending lick.

The band looked up eagerly, only to be met with one or two drunk men clapping in the back corner. "Screw this," the guitarist said, hopping of the stage. She leaned her guitar against a barstool as she slid up to the bar itself.

"Give me a beer, Jim," she said, kneading her forehead with her knuckles. The bartender slid a mug in front of her and she took a long drink. The man beside her stared as she drained half the mug in before she set it down to breathe.

The drummer joined her, sighing heavily. "We have to stop closing this place. Jim, why don't you let us play during the middle of the night? All we ever do is open or close, and we get zero publicity."

Jimmy Astro, owner and bartender, shook his head. "Because, this is Boston. We don't have a big market for metal bands, and you girls only play classic rock when I move you to the end of the night. I like what you do, but it's not a big draw for customers."

"Give it a rest, Aiko," the guitarist said, draining the last of her beer and motioning for another. "At least we get free booze."

"Speaking of which," Aiko replied. "That sounds really good right about now."

A mug was placed in front of her, and promptly snatched out of reach by the singer as she walked up. "You are still underage, remember?" She said, more to Jim than to Aiko. "And don't encourage her, Kiora."

Kiora Hyuuga Haruno stuck her tongue out at her antagonist before returning to her own drink. "Isn't the battle of the bands this month?" she asked into her mug, not directing the question at anyone in particular.

"Two weeks, dear," Natsuko said, before turning to the stage to start packing up gear. Kiora thought carefully, then sighed loudly.

"We're not going to win it, are we?" She asked, still speaking into her (now empty) mug.

"What?" Aiko asked incredulously. "Of course we're going to win it!"

Kiora snorted. "Yeah, right. We've been to what, three of them now? And the best we've done is third. This place is still empty every night when we go on."

"Okay, that's enough for you," said a voice from below the edge of the bar. A pair of young girls appeared, one taking Kiora's elbow, the other her guitar. Together, they led her out of the back of the bar and up the back staircase to the apartment above. Aiko apologized to Jim, and followed them.

"Took you two long enough," she said as she entered the apartment. The older looking girl, Yumi, answered.

"Sorry, we were a little busy, and didn't realize the music had stopped. That's usually our cue to come cut her off."

The actual older girl, Kohana, was nowhere to be seen, presumably putting Kiora into bed before she tried to hurt somebody.

Aiko sighed. "Such is the glamorous life of a wanna-be rock star."

* * *

"I can't _believe _her!" Natsuko complained, wrapping up cords and tossing them into bags and cases. "Give her a few drinks and she turns into Little Miss Negative Nancy."

Melody Uchiha grunted in agreement before locking her bass in its case.

"Not to mention we had- no, still have, almost a half an hour to play, but noooo, we have to stop because nobody's here to listen."

"Well," Melody said, carefully choosing her words. "We are a rock band, we need an audience, right?"

Natsuko frowned, pausing in the middle of pulling apart a mic stand. "I suppose, but I mean, how are we supposed to attract an audience if we only ever play one song before our egomaniac guitarist jumps off stage because the current situation isn't good enough? I mean, let's not forget the fact that Jim is nice enough to rent us the apartment over the bar for half what he should be charging, all under the assumption that we're going to draw in customers."

"Maybe," Melody said, in a voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe we need a costume change."

Natsuko raised an eyebrow. "Care to repeat that?"

"Well, maybe we should, well, use our femininity, so to speak, to get some attention at the next battle of the bands. Every other metal band just dresses up in black and plays, maybe we should put on a bit more of a show. Make a lasting impression."

Natsuko grinned. "I like the way you think."

* * *

Kiora groaned at the thin strips of light streaming in through the curtains on her window, rolling over to get away from them. She found herself eye-to-eye with Kohana, her lover.

"You _suck_ at holding your liquor," the blonde vampire said. "I mean, wow. I thought with as much stamina as you have, you'd be able to hold more than two pints of beer before going off the deep end and getting all depressed."

"Shut up," Kiora said, burying her face into her pillow. "It's not like I grew up drinking every other day. I'm just not as used to it as some people. Now stop making me talk, my head hurts."

"I hope you remembered that you're supposed to help Jim in the bar today," Kohana reminded her. "You've been asleep for about eleven hours, just so you know."

Kiora thought quickly, ignoring the dull throb in her head. "We played at two in the morning, so I can sleep for two more hours before I have to start getting ready," she mumbled into her pillow.

"Right," Kohana said. "Let's just say I understood your mumbles and reminded you that you have to be downstairs in twenty minutes."

"WHAT?" Kiora shouted, leaping out of bed. "Pick out some clothes for me, I'll be in the shower!" She ran to the bathroom, stripping on the way. After a three minute shower, consisting of washing her hair and any sweaty bits, she stormed out, drying herself with one hand and putting on makeup with the other.

She pulled on a clean set of underwear, threw on the skirt and tank top that Kohana had picked out, and pulled on her sneakers before taking the stairs three at a time.

"I'm not late, am I?" she asked as she hopped over the bar. Jim was already there, pulling the day's cash out for the register from the safe.

"No, you're fine," the kind middle-aged man said. "Even if you were late, nobody would have been here for at least an hour."

Kiora glanced at her watch, and silently cursed Kohana's poor math skills. She heard the TV power on, and turned to catch the news.

"-but the fact remains that we don't know if these people pose a threat to the safety of the rest of the world. This 'chakra' that they possess is dangerous, and they're training people to use it as a weapon!"

"I understand your fears, but you also need to take into account that their techniques also include many medical miracles that are equal to or beyond the capabilities of our current level of technology. These people have the capability to save hundreds or thousands of lives, and you want to deny them the right to exist?"

"No, not to exist, I just want to see some regulation on the offensive natures of their abilities. They're training children, as young as age seven, in the use of these metaphysical feats. I don't see that as safe, and there are many who agree with me."

"Yes, but you have to realize that they come from a world without weapons like we have, and they learned to harness the energies inside their bodies to their advantage. These are still human beings, senator, and you can't regulate their right to live, and their military's source of strength. I see no reason to fear people who have shown us no ill will."

"Change the channel, will you?" Kiora asked, disgusted. She had heard various forms of this debate for months since Konoha's ascent from its alternate dimension prison.

She often wondered what was going on at home, but as of yet, no one had attempted to connect them to the global information network, beyond building an airport and a pair of seaports. Sakura had made several appearances on news broadcasts, giving speeches to try and calm the rest of the world.

It hadn't worked.

It wasn't long before word got out about the superhuman abilities of the shinobi, and people either flocked to Konoha in an attempt to learn how to control chakra, or petitioned, rallied, and protested the fact that people with such abilities were allowed in society. For now, political pressure had forced the Ninja Academy to close its doors, but private schools were still open. Sasuke and Anko were teaching those who would have normally attended the Academy, but several of the survivors from other villages had taken to teaching foreigners for profit. Conservative estimates placed the number of people with very basic chakra control in the thousands. Those with the capability to perform jutsu numbered less than three hundred, but that didn't stop the masses from panicking about "supernatural threats."

Kiora had managed to convince Jim that she and her group of friends were from the southwest of the United States, and had all moved to Boston to try out the music scene. She didn't really know why, but she didn't want him to know she had once come from Konoha.

The illusion was helped, somewhat, by the fact that she no longer had the ability to control chakra. That brief lapse in judgment, when she regained the use of her patriarch gene, and she had simultaneously released the gene and the Kyuubi's chakra at the same time, had put too much strain on her chakra coils. Unfortunately, it would have been fine had she rested and allowed them to recover from the shock, but she had pulled off several long-distance teleportation jutsus and aided in the rebuilding of Konoha, and it had crippled them beyond the ability of medical jutsu to heal.

Sakura had sealed her chakra coils, preventing her from damaging them further. She now lived as a normal human girl, forever frozen at the appearance of sixteen, courtesy of the vampire she had left upstairs.

She bit back her visible anger. Any time she got too stressed, the seal on her belly flared up, sending a wave of searing pain through her. She had very quickly learned to control her anger. Not any of her other emotions, mind you, just anger. And the others had filled that very large void.

Just as Jim had said, the bar stayed empty for the first hour, and then the first customers began to slowly trickle in. Melody and Natsuko came down later, mostly to tell Kiora they were going shopping for something band related. The night stayed quiet until the usual crowd of leather-clad bikers showed up near midnight.

"Hey, babe, what's a looker like you doing working in a dump like this?" One asked, obviously new to the place, since Kiora had been doing work around the bar for almost six months since they arrived.

Kiora ignored his question and asked him what he wanted to drink. He didn't seem to get the picture, instead hitting on her. His buddy, next to him, tried to warn him, but it was too late.

The pocket knife was out in a flash, stabbed down in the wooden bar, perfectly between the impudent man's pointer and middle fingers. Kiora had started carrying the small weapon shortly after moving into the apartment, realizing a kunai would have given her away.

"Okay buddy, you get one more chance," Kiora said, a fake smile on her lips. She ignored the twinge of pain that indicated the start of her seal locking down. "Order a drink, and you can stay. Keep up what you're doing, and the next time this knife comes out, I take a few inches off of your most prized possession."

The man stuttered that he'd take a beer, and Kiora slid the pocket knife back onto her belt. Jim sent her a mandatory glare, but she knew he appreciated the fact that she kept the peace. It wasn't hard to win a fight around here, as long as you had an edged weapon, and once she had used the Hyuuga clan sword to break up a particularly bad fight. It may have been overkill, but seeing as how Melody had been warming up her Mangekyo, it was probably the lesser of two evils.

She sighed, poured the guy his beer, and leaned back up against the bar. Tonight was going to be quiet.

Or else.

A/N: Wow, I really don't want to know how long that took me. It's been quite a while since HN3 ended, and I totally remember saying this was going to start a few weeks later, but I got majorly sidetracked, so meh... I got kicked out of the Navy for helping a friend, started working on my first album to try and get a band together, and moved to Washington state! Fun stuff, we had a blast. Hell, the only reason I started working on this again is because the internet is down, and I got tired of doing sidequests in Star Ocean 4... So yeah...

Anyways, REVIEW! Please?

(1) Crescendo: Easiest definition is that the music gets louder, building to a peak, typically before getting quieter.

(2) Power Chord: The most important chord in all of rock! It's the root note, the note that's 5 higher (the fifth) and occasionally the octave. Go listen to some Green Day, you'll know what a power chord is soon enough.

(3) Low E: The lowest note on a guitar in standard tuning. Guitars are normally tuned (from low to high): E A D G B e

(4) Pattern: Music has structure, and as such, it has patterns. Learning these patterns makes it easier to learn songs.

(5) Drum Beats: A rock beat is typically a kick on the odd beats, a snare on the even beats, with cymbals doing some other time-keeping. Swing beats are similar, but think 50s style rock and roll.

(6) Any time I put lyrics in parenthesis, it means that they're being sung by back-up singers (Typically Melody and Kiora).

(7) Fill: A non-standard bit of free form playing, most often used by drummers, but you can have guitar fill and bass fills, etc. Often used to link two patterns.

(8) Tremolo Arm: Fancy name for a whammy bar.

(9) Taps/Pinch Harmonics: Advanced guitar techniques; Tapping involves using the picking hand to play notes without picking, and pinch harmonics create artificial notes by muting the string slightly with the thumb while picking.


	2. Broken

A/N: Right, I'm starting this before I upload Chapter 1, but I have no clue when (read: if) I'll finish it. I also have no clue at this point if anybody read, reviewed, looked at, or even acknowledged that I started this story, so yeah. On with chapter 2!

**Chapter 2**

**Broken**

Kiora watched in awe as Natsuko and Melody pulled outfit after outfit out of their shopping bags.

"How did you guys afford all of this?" She asked, glancing at a couple of price tags in triple digits.

"Ask us no questions and we'll tell you no lies," Natsuko said, as Melody shifted uncomfortably. "Suffice to say, just because _you _can't use chakra doesn't mean the rest of us are so unfortunate."

"I don't want to know any more," Kiora said, shaking her head. She picked up a skirt. "Okay, actually, I do want to know what possessed you to buy a skirt this short. We stand on a stage. We are above eye level."

"You and Melody have instruments in front of you," Natsuko reminded her. "I figured you'd like this one." She held up a slightly longer, black pleated skirt with a dark red skull and crossbones on the right front.

Kiora held the skirt up to herself, judging its length in relation to where her guitar sat when she played it.

"It's not bad," she conceded. "I need something to go with it, though."

She sifted through the growing pile of clothes until she came across something promising: a vest in the same red as the skull on the skirt. It was asymmetrical, the buttons on the left side, and detached sleeves.

"Okay, maybe you had a good idea," Kiora said. "I still don't approve of your methods."

"Relax, will you?" Natsuko said. "Anything we don't wear is going to charity. We're not totally heartless or selfish."

"Speak for yourself," said a voice. Kohana entered the room, eying the stack of clothes with a raised eyebrow. "Shopping spree?"

Kohana still preferred the gothic lolita look, decked out in frills and lace. As such, she had no interest in Natsuko and Melody's haul.

"Anyways, Jim said the cable company finally got off their ass," Kohana said. "We'll finally have some decent TV in here."

"Thank god," Natsuko said. "I was tired of Metallica concert DVDs. No offense," she added, noticing Kiora's scowl.

"When's our next gig?" Kiora shouted into the kitchen, where Aiko was closest to the calendar.

"Day after tomorrow," came the reply. "Closing again."

"God dammit."

"Who's got bar duty tomorrow?" Kohana asked. "Jim's taking the day off, we're in charge."

"I do," Melody said. She disappeared into the bathroom with an armload of clothes, presumably to try them on.

Kiora fumbled through the rest of the clothes but found nothing else of interest. Of course, Natsuko had a dozen outfits picked out, but that's what happens when you shop for yourself.

"Hey, where's Yumi, anyways?" She finally asked, desperate to break the silence.

"It's three in the morning," Natsuko said. "She's probably sleeping. Or having some quality alone time."

"Speaking of sleep," Aiko said, joining the group in the living room. "I think I'm gonna have to get me some of that. Ooh, that's cute," she said, picking up a white hoodie covered in patches and metal studs.

"Not sure 'cute' is the word I'd use, but I like it on you," Kiora said. She stretched, folded her new outfit over her arm, and left her friends behind as she headed to her and Kohana's bedroom. It was really amazing that the six of them had found this apartment. She probably thanked Jim once a week for how great it was, and the deal they had gotten.

They were employed under the table at the bar, the rent here was half of what they made together, plus they got to play for the bar twice a week. She folded her arms behind her head as she lay down. Life was good.

At least, as long as she didn't dwell on the growing tension between the rest of the world and Konoha. She tried not to dwell on the subject, as it tended to bring with it a surge of anger. She had to nip her sources of anger in the bud, lest they fester into something dangerous.

She was, of course, getting better. She could feel a certain amount of frustration before her mind subconsciously began trying to release chakra. It was only a matter of time before her body gave up on trying to use the energy entirely.

-Help-Needed-4-

Right, I have some new info," Aiko said, running into the bar the next morning. Melody and Kiora looked up from their conversation, curiously eying the drummer.

"They're giving away a 1990 Ford Econoline at the battle of the bands," she announced proudly. Her audience stared blankly.

"It's a van," Aiko elaborated. "A pretty big one, from what I've seen. Big enough for us to go to some nearby cities and play more gigs. We should really go for it with this one. We've gotta win, or we'll be stuck here for who knows how long playing in this place."

"Good thing Jim's not here today," Kiora muttered to Melody. Jimmy Astro was very fond of his bar. "Speaking of which, shouldn't you be behind the bar instead of hanging out in the corner with me?"

Melody shrugged, standing up. She counted the number of people in the room, then sat back down. "I have enough kunai behind the bar to kill them all if a riot starts."

Aiko facepalmed and Kiora laughed. Melody grinned and slipped back behind the bar, double checking the cash register. The typical customers of the bar were usually good people, but once in a while a new guy thought he could get away with something. Those people typically ended up hurt.

"So, what are we going to do?" Aiko asked.

"About what?" Kiora replied, more focused on a White Russian than the conversation.

"Battle of the bands. Winning it. Getting a van. Rocking the world. Stuff like that."

"Oh. I dunno," Kiora said, draining her drink. "We're probably the best band that shows up. We have been the last three times."

"In terms of technical instrumental ability, yes," Aiko conceded. "But we've lost all three times, remember? We're obviously missing something."

"Well, Melody and Natsuko did go shopping for new gig outfits," Kiora said, watching as Melody filled a customer's mug from the tap. "So we'll stand out a bit more."

"I don't think that's it, though," Aiko said. "I mean, yeah, it'll help, but it's not the main thing holding us back. We've always been the best metal band at these, and we're the only band that's all female, but it's always the indie rockers or alternative bands that win."

"Point being?"

"We need a song that'll kick those people's asses up around their ears and leave them screaming for more," Melody said. "Whiplash?"

"No, we did Metallica last time, that's not cool," Aiko said. "I was thinking we metal up Crazy Train."

"Metal up?" Kiora asked loudly. "How exactly does one 'metal up' an Ozzy Osbourne song?" She looked to Melody, who shrugged.

"Tune it down a bit, throw in some double kicks, scream a bit," Aiko said. "Speed it up a little."

Kiora ran through the famous song in her head, messing with the arrangement a little. "That might work," she finally said. "It's upbeat enough to get the crowd involved, and it's easily recognizable. And it saves us the effort of trying to write something original. Thank god they let us play covers." (1)

Aiko ran off to share the news with Natsuko, and Kiora turned to Melody. "So, what exactly are we going to wear? The battle of the bands stage puts the crowd's heads at our ankles, and I don't care _what_ Natsuko says, I'm not wearing a skirt in those conditions."

Melody gave a non-committal shrug, not wanting to make any decision. She idly fondled the locket hanging around her neck, containing a picture of her late twin, Serenity.

"It still hurts, doesn't it?" Kiora asked softly, speaking into her glass. "It's kinda my fault, so I understand."

Melody shrugged, quieter than usual. "Yes, it does," she whispered. "But it isn't your fault. I should have been the one to protect her. You have enough problems without worrying about me, anyways. Natsuko treats your condition like a joke."

"I thought it was pretty funny," Kiora said, taking a swig of her drink. "Okay, not so much funny as ironic."

"Pouring your heart out to the bartender, huh?" said the man next to her, his words surprisingly coherent, considering he'd had at least four beers in the past hour. "Aren't you pretty ladies in that band that plays here all the time?"

"Yes," Kiora said warily. She didn't recognize the man, meaning he wasn't a regular. "Can we help you with something?"

The man handed her a business card. "You're planning on entering the Battle of the Bands in a few weeks, aren't you? I'm offering you my services if you win. Name's Nathan."

"You do realize we change styles when we play late as opposed to normally, right?" Kiora asked. "If you think we're just gonna play classic rock covers, you're screwed."

"I am aware of that. The mainstream music around here may be indie rock, but I assure you there's a large enough following for metalcore bands like yours to flourish."

He slid Melody a twenty dollar bill, said, "keep the change," and left.

"We have to win," Kiora said, turning back to Melody. She slid the business card across the bar so she could read it:

Nathan King

Band Manager

The back listed two phone numbers, an email address, and a fax number.

"We can't miss this opportunity," Kiora stated, leaning up onto the bar. Melody cleared her throat, but Kiora pressed on, getting on her knees on her barstool, leaning on her elbows on the bar.

"I might agree, but what exactly does a band manager _do_?" she asked.

"Book gigs, set up meetings, stuff like that. Help us get studio time."

Behind her, a man wolf-whistled. Kiora's head snapped around, glaring, when she finally realized her error. She was on her knees on a barstool, bending over the bar. In some very form-fitting jeans.

"Blow me!" she shouted to the man as she planted her ass back on her stool. She turned back to Melody, but the man staggered over to the bar.

"Well, if yer offerin'," he slurred, slumping against the bar itself.

Looking back, maybe it was one too many White Russians, but Kiora snapped. Before she could stop herself, her fingers had run through the familiar thirteen handsigns, and her mother's seal tried its best to do its job. Needless to say, it failed.

A/N: I'd continue, but this actually feels like a good stopping point. I don't know when the next update is going to be, but it should (in theory) come quicker than this one.


	3. Have a Drink on Me

A/N: So I just realized I didn't leave a footnote for that little remark in chapter two: Most Battle of the Bands expect each band to play their own original material. Playing other bands' songs is generally frowned upon, unless you're putting a unique spin on it.

**Chapter 3**

**Have a Drink on Me**

Kiora woke staring at a white ceiling, harsh fluorescent lighting causing her to squint. She opened her mouth to speak, but her lips and throat were too dry to form words.

She heard footsteps from her left. She sat up in bed and realized she was in a hospital. She gulped down the glass of water that had been left by her bed and looked around the room. Outside of the lone window, she noticed the stone faces of a familiar monument.

"Ah, miss Haruno, you're awake," said a voice as the door opened. A male nurse entered the room, heading for several of the instruments that had been wired to her body.

"Hmm," he hummed, making notes on his clipboard. "Vitals all look good. You shouldn't try to move too much, though, you suffered some massive internal injuries."

_Internal injuries? From what? _Kiora thought. The nurse left, shutting the door behind him. There was a popping sound as Kohana teleported into the room.

"Well? How do you feel?" she asked, her arms folded across her chest. She glared at Kiora from under her bangs.

"Like I've been hit by a truck," Kiora confessed. "What happened?"

"You don't remember three nights ago at all, do you?"

"Three nights ago? What the hell happened, Kohana?"

The vampire sighed. "You got pissed off at some drunk and tried to tear him a new one. Using your patriarch gene."

"Oh."

"You destroyed your mother's seal and put some massive stress on your chakra network. And you put the poor guy through a wall. Or two."

Kiora frowned and stared at her knees. "What about Melody and the rest of them?"

"Still in Boston," Kohana said. "Jim's been told you have a bad case of the flu, I teleported you here as you collapsed, and your mother's- well, she's more furious than _I've _ever seen her."

There were thunderous footsteps in the hallway outside. "Speak of the devil," Kohana muttered, turning invisible.

Kiora swallowed as the door opened. Sakura stormed into the room, Hinata on her heels.

"Hello," she said, putting on a cheery face for her parents. For a split second, she though Sakura was going to punch her, but she just pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head.

"Dammit, Kiora, why?" the Hokage asked, trying to keep her voice steady. "I thought you were smarter than this."

"It was just a reflex," Kiora answered, getting slightly frustrated. She found that there wasn't any pain from the seal trying to clamp down.

"Reflex? I had to repair over a hundred broken bones in the guy you hit. It's a miracle you didn't kill him."

"He pissed me off."

Sakura sighed and shook her head. "We need to find a better solution. Locking out your chakra isn't going to work if you can't keep yourself from bursting my best seals."

Kohana materialized in the corner. "I have a suggestion. It'll take me a day or two to perfect it, but I think it'll work."

"What is it?" Sakura asked, skepticism creeping into her voice.

"Well, there's a couple ways we could do this. We could try a comprehensive healing spell, but those are ungodly expensive. We could make a deal with the devil, but he tends to overcharge. Or we can teach her to rely on a different kind of energy than chakra."

"A different kind of energy?" Kiora asked. "Like what?"

"Well," Kohana said. "What do you know about magic?"

"I know you're the only spellcaster I've ever seen," Kiora said. "I have my ideas but nothing to compare them to."

"If we decide to go that route, I'll explain everything. Ideally, I'd jump on the healing spell, but those go for about a hundred grand, depending on exchange rates."

Kiora paused to think, as Sakura examined the notes from the nurse's clipboard.

"At least you didn't seem to do any more damage," she said. "You got lucky."

"Yeah, real lucky," Kiora retorted. "I can't even get mad without trying to release chakra and risk causing irreparable damage to myself."

"Don't get too mopey," Sakura said. "Right now, you should just be grateful you're alive."

Kiora nodded, biting back her frustrations. "What now," she asked. "What's up with the seal?"

"I removed it," Sakura said, looking up from the clipboard. "No point in having it if you can blow through it with the patriarch gene. That said, it's all on you now. If you don't find a way to solve this, the next time you use that jutsu, you'll die."

"Can't you, you know," Kiora started.

"What, do anything? This is beyond the scope of medical ninjutsu. It's a science, not magic."

Kiora returned her gaze to her knees. "Okay, so what's our next step?"

"Well, I can write off the comprehensive healing spell as a state medical expense. So, the next step would be for you and Kohana to go find out how to get one."

"Great. Can I get out of bed now?"

"Fine, I just want Hinata to take one last look at your chakra network to double-check everything."

Kiora pulled the leads off of her skin and stepped out of bed as Hinata activated her Byakugan and looked her over.

"She seems fine, as long as she doesn't push herself too hard, she'll be okay," she said, her eyes returning to normal.

"Alright. Go, find out how to do this spell, and get back here. I don't want you gone for more than 48 hours, got it?" Sakura said, folding her arms over her chest.

"Got it." Kiora said, pulling her clothes on and taking Kohana's hand. The vampire flashed Sakura a thumbs-up, and the two teleported away.

-Help-Needed-4-

"Welcome," Kohana said. "To the Nightside."

It had been broad daylight a moment before, in the heart of London. Now it was pitch dark, and Kiora's cell phone said it was three in the morning.

"Oh, don't worry," Kohana said, noting Kiora's confused expression. "It's always 3 AM in the Nightside."

"Okay, I'm officially confused. What the hell is the Nightside?" Kiora asked.

"There are over seven billion beings on this planet," Kohana started. "Six billion of them are mundane humans. The other billion are split between humans and part-humans with powers hiding in plain sight, and those who have powers and are hiding where no eyes will ever find them.

"We are currently in one of those locations," she continued. "Away from the influence and laws of any government. As such, strength, influence, and connections determine the pecking order. Unfortunately, you at your prime still weren't at the top of the food chain here."

"Great. So, we're surrounded by people who are stronger than us, _and _we're looking for something."

"Now wait," Kohana said, leading Kiora down a side street. "All _you _had going for you was power. _I _still have my reputation as the queen of the undead. And more than a few connections."

"Okay, so where are we going?" Kiora asked as Kohana led them around another corner.

"The pub," the vampire answered, gesturing at a door.

Kiora opened the door and headed down the wrought-iron spiral staircase. The roar of dozens of conversations reached her ears as she hit the bottom, while King Crimson blared from hidden speakers.

"What is this place?" she asked as Kohana joined her at the foot of the stairs.

"Strangefellows. Don't make eye contact with anyone until you get to the bar. They like to shoot tourists."

Kiora gulped and followed Kohana through the crowd, suddenly questioning their decision to come here.

They reached the bar without incident and slid onto stools. Kohana had apparently found someone she had been looking for, because she turned to the man next to her and greeted him.

"John Taylor," she said. "What's it been, ten years?"

"Well if it isn't the High Daylight Walker herself," Taylor said, turning to face her. "I was just about to leave, too. Tell you what, buy me a drink, and we'll reminisce."

"Sure thing. Hey Alex!" she called to the bartender. "Pour two glasses of the good stuff. Make it three, actually."

"So, what are you in the Nightside for?" Taylor asked as a glass of brandy was set in front of him. "You never just come here for shits and giggles."

"I need to find something," she said. "And I know who to come to for finding things."

Kiora listened to their conversation, her eyes locked on a glass case behind the bar. Inside was a bible with a raised silver cross on the cover. A sign underneath read: "In case of apocalypse, break glass."

"Well, what do you need to find, and what are you offering?" Taylor asked.

"Iksir, or an equivalent strength scroll of healing."

"_Iksir? _Are you serious? You can't get it without trading your soul nowadays. The ingredients are extinct, after all."

"What's iksir?" Kiora asked, tearing her gaze away from the glass case.

"The single most powerful medicine in the world," Kohana said. "Guaranteed to cure any disease or heal any wound."

"But it'll cost you your soul, and _nothing _heals that," Taylor added. "What on earth could you possibly need iksir for?"

"Her," Kohana said, jerking her thumb over her shoulder at Kiora. "Chakra network damage. Nothing else can heal it."

"I had heard you were in the shinobi realm, but I'll admit, I'm surprised it was true." Taylor took a long drink from his brandy. "There were also rumors that you had been killed and sent to Hell, but Lucifer couldn't torture you and bound you to the one who killed you instead."

"The amount of information that gets to the Nightside is astounding," Kohana muttered dryly.

"So it's true, then?"

"Mostly, you're missing the latest developments," the vampire answered.

"Care to share?"

"What about the iksir?" Kohana asked, dragging the conversation back on track. "Who do I have to kill?"

"Alright, but my price is the rest of your tale," Taylor said. "There's a shop uptown that has one bottle of the stuff. Place is called The Devil's Advocate. They're asking for the soul of the person using it, though. And they have the best anti-theft systems I've ever seen. They even put the Collector to shame."

"Great," Kohana said. "I'll be back. Kiora, keep him entertained while I'm gone."

Kiora sighed and drained the last of her brandy. "So, how do you and Kohana know each other?" she asked.

"Nothing special, I just keep tabs on all the major players in the Nightside. More interesting would be this: What's _your _relationship with her?"

Kiora frowned. This wasn't something easily mentioned in polite conversation. "Let's just say we have a love-hate relationship."

"Hmm. Judging from Kohana, I'd have to wager that you're older than you look, too, aren't you?"

"Not quite to her degree, but yes. I'm 21, but had my appearance frozen at 15 thanks to her."

"Really? To be wounded to the point of needing iksir at such a young age. I can only imagine what you had to deal with."

"Try the group of nine ninja who reduced the population of my world from almost a hundred thousand to less than a hundred."

"Ah. I imagine that must have been a... trying time."

"You have no idea."

"I think I do. Six months ago, angels came to the Nightside," Taylor said, ordering another round.

"Big deal. Winged losers in robes with a harp fetish."

"Ha ha. Try God's shock troopers. Heaven's equivalent of the SAS."

"The what now?" Kiora asked.

"The SAS. Britain's top military organization. Best in the world, at least among the mundanes."

"Speaking of mundanes, what's you're specialty that made Kohana come to you?"

"I find things. It's a gift."

Kiora raised an eyebrow. "What kind of things?"

"Anything that exists, and a few things that don't," Taylor said, smiling to himself.

"Okay, I'll bite. How does one find something that doesn't exist?"

"Oh, they exist all right, but their existence has been denied by so many in power that it's widely accepted that they don't. Places are big victims; Valhalla, Atlantis, Area 51. Most of the time it's a government trying to keep things hushed up."

"So how exactly do you find something like that?"

"It's a gift," Taylor repeated, taking another drink.

"Show me," Kiora said, turning to face him fully.

"Alright. But remember, you _did _ask." He smirked. "You're not wearing a bra."

Kiora's hands jumped to familiar handsigns, but she stopped herself. "I am, too!" she yelled, attracting the attention of more than a few people. What looked suspiciously like a werewolf stopped licking himself and cocked his head at her.

"Are not," Taylor said, holding up a piece of black lace lingerie. Grinning, he handed it back to her.

"How did you do that?" Kiora asked, folding the garment in her lap. She'd put it back on in the ladies room, away from prying eyes.

"I found it," Taylor said. "I can find anything."

Kohana chose that moment to reappear at the bar, dragging a teenage girl in tow. "You asked him about his gift, didn't you?" she asked, eying the bra in Kiora's lap.

"Yeah," Kiora admitted. She pointed at the girl behind Kohana. "Who's this?"

"Yuki Sonoda," the vampire answered, as though that explained everything. She gave an exasperated sigh at Kiora's blank expression. "She's a phantom thief. If John's gift is finding things, her's is stealing them."

Taylor spoke up at that. "I highly doubt she can get past their security system."

Kohana grinned. "Normal teleportation magic leaves a trail. Even teleporting with a jutsu is traceable. But phantom thieves have a special kind of magic that lets them move without leaving any traces behind."

"I still doubt she can get past the security there," Taylor said, sliding his overcoat on.

-Help-Needed-4-

"I can't believe she got past the security system," Taylor said, ten minutes later. The four of them were standing outside The Devil's Advocate, a garishly decorated store offering other-worldly pleasures for astronomical prices. Yuki held a small crystal bottle, filled with a clear liquid and sealed with wax.

"Domo, Yuki-chan," Kohana said, taking the prize. She gave it to Kiora, and the four headed to a nearby alley.

"So how does this work? Kiora asked, holding the bottle up to eye level.

"Drink it, then pump as much chakra through your body as you can. The iksir will counteract the stress and build up your chakra network to handle it." Kohana looked to Taylor for confirmation, and the man nodded.

"Here goes nothing," Kiora said, peeling the wax seal off of the bottle and downing the liquid in one swallow. Warmth spread immediately to all of her extremities.

She tossed the empty bottle to Kohana and flipped through the thirteen handsigns of her signature jutsu. The Eight Inner Gates burst open, flooding her chakra network with energy. There was a flash of searing pain that was quickly countered by the warmth swirling through her. She mentally breached the aging seal and allowed the Kyuubi's chakra to join the mix. Her engorged chakra network strained under the effort, but the iksir provided it with the support it needed.

She prepared herself for the physical changes from the Kyuubi's chakra, as fur sprouted across her body. Her ears migrated to the top of her head, and her grey, pupil-less eyes turned red and grew slitted pupils. There was a tearing sound as the tails sprouted from the base of her spine, shredding the seat of her pants.

"Damn, I just bought these," she muttered. Chakra swirled around her, tearing gouges in the pavement and walls. Kohana stood unflinching, while Taylor had his arm over his eyes, his overcoat billowing in the wind.

Finally, Kiora concentrated the energy, coalescing it into a pale red glow around her skin. The fox transformations undid themselves, and she exhaled a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Been a while," she said, bouncing on her toes. "Can't say I didn't miss it."

Kohana smirked. "Well, since you're not screaming in agony, I'll take it the iksir worked."

"That's a very good assumption," Taylor said, stepping out from in front of Yuki.

"Well, I've got to return our little thief," Kohana said. "You should head back to Konoha. I'll meet up with you in a few minutes."

"Gotcha," Kiora said, flipping through handsigns for the teleportation jutsu. The world vanished in a whirl of color and sound, and she was soon standing on top of the stone Hokage monument, looking over the village.

A/N: Sorry for the painfully slow update, but there's only like 1 person reading this right now (Or at least, only 1 person who bothers to review it, and if you're not reviewing, why do you hate me so much?) so I'm having difficulty making this a priority. Especially with Rock Band 3 out, and my real band starting to pick up, AND doing some custom charts for RBN, AND trying to find a job so I can pay the rent.

And, an announcement: I'm putting this story on hiatus for a little bit. I'm working on the re-writes of Help Needed 1 and 2, so the canon in this story is a little wonky right now. Until I finish HN 1 and 2, this story is going on the back burner.


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